Land at Model Farm Cottages, Bath Road, Sonning, Berkshire

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1 Land at Model Farm Cottages, Bath Road, Sonning, Berkshire An Archaeological Evaluation for The Keen Partnership by Andy Taylor Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd Site Code BRS 04/55 June 2004

2 Summary Site name: Land at Model Farm Cottages, Bath Road, Sonning, Berkshire Grid reference: SU Site activity: Evaluation Date and duration of project: 28th May 2004 Project manager: Steve Ford Site supervisor: Andy Taylor Site code: BRS 04/55 Area of site: c.1200 sq m Summary of results: No archaeological deposits or finds were observed. Monuments identified: None Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited with Reading Museum Service in due course. This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder Report edited/checked by: Steve Ford Steve Preston i

3 Land at Model Farm Cottages, Bath Road, Sonning, Berkshire An Archaeological Evaluation by Andy Taylor Report 04/55 Introduction This report documents the results of an archaeological field evaluation carried out at land at Model Farm Cottages, Bath Road, Sonning, Berkshire (SU ) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Mr Christopher Keen of the Keen Partnership, The Courtyard, Edinburgh Road, Reading, RG30 2UA. A planning application (App. no. 2004/1609) has been made to Wokingham District Council for the demolition of an existing barn and construction of a replacement barn to be used for offices along with on-site parking. In order to provide information on the archaeological potential of the site, a field evaluation has been requested by the former archaeological advisor to the District Council (Babtie). This is in accordance with the Department of the Environment s Planning Policy Guidance, Archaeology and Planning (PPG ), and the District s policies on archaeology. The field investigation was carried out to a specification approved by Mr Mike Lang Hall, Archaeological Officer at Reading Museum who are archaeological advisers to the District Council. The fieldwork was undertaken by Andy Taylor and Simon Cass on the 28th-1st June May 2004 and the site code is BRS 04/55. The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited with Reading Museum Service in due course. Location, topography and geology The site is located on a rectangular parcel of land adjacent to Model Farm Cottages on the south side of the Bath Road, Sonning. It lies on the northern edge of Sonning Golf Course with associated buildings situated to the south-west of the site. Sonning itself is located east of Reading and south of the River Thames. (Fig. 1) The underlying geology is Plateau Gravel (BGS 1971) and the site covers approximately 1200 sq m, at height of c.53.50m above Ordnance Datum. Archaeological background The site lies in an area rich in archaeological deposits visible from the air (Ford 1987; Gates 1975) with an important Neolithic complex to the north (a Scheduled Ancient Monument) which contains a cursus monument, a mortuary enclosure and round barrows (ring ditches). Several other cropmarks are also present in the vicinity, 1

4 probably of Iron Age or Roman date. A range of finds from Palaeolithic to Roman date including occupation of earlier Neolithic date were recorded during excavation to the east near Charvil (Lovell and Mepham ). Objectives and methodology The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the presence/absence, extent, condition, character, quality and date of any archaeological deposits within the area of development. Specific aims of the project were; a) To determine if archaeologically relevant levels have survived on this site. b) To determine if archaeological deposits if any period are present. The trenches were opened by a JCB-type machine fitted with a 1.6m toothless ditching bucket under constant archaeological supervision. They were positioned as close as possible to their original intended positions (Fig. 2) and all spoilheaps were monitored for finds. A complete list of trenches giving lengths, breadths, depths and a description of sections and geology is given in Appendix 1. Results Trench 1 This trench was 12.5m long and was located at the northern end of the site adjacent to the Bath Road. The stratigraphy consisted of turf/topsoil overlying a made ground layer overlying subsoil overlying gravel natural (Fig. 3). No deposits of archaeological interest were observed. Trench 2 (Plate 1) This trench was 16m long and was located on the eastern side of the site.. The stratigraphy consisted of turf/topsoil overlying a gravel sand layer overlying made ground overlying gravel natural. No deposits of archaeological interest were observed. 2

5 Trench 3 (Plate 2) This trench was 17m long and was located on the western side of the site. The stratigraphy consisted of turf topsoil overlying a dark grey silty deposit containing rubble and plastic. This was overlying subsoil overlying gravel natural. No deposits of archaeological interest were observed. Finds No finds of an archaeological nature were retrieved. Modern finds were not retained. Conclusion Despite the presence of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains to the north of the site no archaeological deposits or finds were noted on the site. It therefore seems unlikely that the development work will cause any damage to archaeological remains. References BGS, 1971, British Geological Survey, 1:50000, Sheet 268, Drift Edition, Keyworth Ford, S, 1987, East Berkshire Archaeological Survey, Berkshire County Counc Dept Highways and Planning Occas Pap 1, Reading Gates, T, 1975, The Thames Valley, An archaeological Survey of the River Gravels, Berkshire Archaeol Comm Pubn 1, Reading Lovell, J and Mepham, L, , Excavations at East Park Farm, Charvil, Berkshire: Evidence for prehistoric and Romano-British activity on the Thames floodplain, Berkshire Archaeol J, 76, PPG16, 1990, Archaeology and Planning, Dept of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance 16, HMSO 3

6 APPENDIX 1: Trench details 0m at S or W ends Trench No. Length (m) Breadth (m) Depth (m) Comment m-0.10m turf/topsoil; 0.10m-0.60m made ground (gravels and brick rubble); 0.60m-0.70m subsoil; 0.70m+ gravel natural m-0.10m turf/topsoil; 0.10m-0.40m gravel and sand; 0.40m- 0.65m made ground 0.65m+gravel natural [Plate 1] m-0.15m turf/topsoil; 0.15m-0.30m dark grey silty deposit with rubble and plastic; 0.30m-0.70m subsoil; 0.70m+ gravel natural. [Plate 2] 4

7 SITE SITE SU Land at Model Farm Cottages, Bath Road, Sonning, Berkshire, 2004 An Archaeological Evaluation BRS04/55 Figure 1. Location of site within Sonning and Berkshire. Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Pathfinder 1172 SU67/77 at 1: Ordnance Survey Licence

8 Land at Model Farm Cottages, Bath Road, Sonning, Berkshire, 2004 N Bath Road Model Farm Cottages Trench1 1 2 Trench 2 Trench 3 SU m Figure 2: Location of trenches BRS 04/55

9 Land at Model Farm Cottages, Bath Road, Sonning, Berkshire, 2004 Representative Section of Trench m SE NW Turf/Topsoil Made Ground Subsoil 0 1m Figure 3: Representative section BRS 04/55

10 Plate 1. Trench 2 looking south-west, scales 2m and 1m. Plate 2. Trench 3 looking south-west; scales 2m and 1m. BRS04/55